Carrot and Kale Crisps: Crunchy Goodness for Pennies

Following on from my success of the apple crisps (and by success I mean they lasted 30 seconds between two friends) I decided to see if there were any other healthy, but expensive, crisps I could replicate. Low and behold, there were, and so began the experiment of carrot crisps.

The fact that you are baking these (and I did it without oil) really brings out the flavour of the carrots and also means that you are getting all the crunchy satisfaction you want from a snack, with the barely there calories of a carrot (about 25 for an average medium carrot). Also, I managed to get a whole 1kg bag of these beauties for just 55p at my local Lidl, meaning I could experiment as much as needed for you lovely blog readers.

I started off in a similar way to the apple crisps (http://missioncompetition.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/challenge-apple-crisps.html) by slicing up the carrot as thinly as possible. However, this proves to be quite fiddly with a carrot and difficult to get an even slice. Nevertheless, I ploughed on and layed them onto a baking tray, lined with baking paper:

(Don't worry, I'll explain the random strips in a second)

So I put these in the oven for about 10 minutes and then turned them over and checked on them in another 10 minutes or so. Only issue was, they had shrunk. A lot. Although the crispy ones were very tasty, as it had been so difficult to slice them evenly, some were just soft and hot. Not the crisp like texture I was after.

I decided to change tactics.This is where the strips comes in. By using the carrot peeler to create long thin strips of carrot, I was getting a much more even thickness. Again, I put them in the oven at 180 degrees, but this time checked on them after just 5 minutes, and continued to do so until they were crisp and ready.

(Note that some of the originals still aren't cooked. The rest I may have eaten)

The result? Spirals of crispy carrot that look fun and different to your ususual crisps, but taste so much better. A nice addition at this stage is some seasoning: salt, grated parmesan, or pepper work particularly well.

The final, studenty touch, was to display them in a shot glass and think about the fact I had been making and experimenting with carrot crisps instead of studying for the past hour...

UPDATE:

Kale Crisps

I have been experimenting making crisps with other vegetables since making that original post, and so thought it was only polite to keep you lot updated!

I was in my local Tesco and saw a bag of 180g of kale reduced to 59p in the 'still fresh' section (one of the best places in a supermarket, I once found rolls for 2p 5 minutes to closing time). This is still cheaper than some individual bags of crisps so I thought I would treat myself and experiment.

Now something I have learnt is that you can't leave your kale crisps as you would carrot or apple crisps, as they tend to burn a lot quicker. Also, most people recommend using oil, but I am trying to limit it in my diet at the moment, and so needed something else to stop the crisps from drying out too quickly. 

One method, is to fill a bowl with water (with or without a couple of drops of lemon juice for flavour), and toss the kale in it before removing. Then leave the kale to almost dry before adding spices (the dampness allows the spices to stick more easily).

To recreate salt and vinegar crisps, try tossing the kale in balsamic vinegar (with or without oil) and a little salt. Or a favourite of mine is to use a little reduced salt soy sauce.

After you have tossed the kale in whatever flavours tickle your fancy, pop the kale on a baking tray lined with grease proof baking paper and bake in the oven at 150 degrees Celsius. Then check on them every 5 minutes or so, turning them around and shaking the tray to get an even bake, and that all important crispiness.

The Kale in the picture is about a quarter of the 59p bag I got, so I made a good few batches with different flavours to try. (yes, that is more carrot crisps in the background. It's becoming a joke in our flat how often I make these for study snacks)

All that's left is to serve up and enjoy the guilt free snacking! 

How do you like your Kale Crisps?

Any more suggestions, comments or challenges let me know, and be sure to follow me on Twitter @LaurieBeat Thanks :)

Challenge: Apple Crisps

So there I was at my local Waitrose, perusing the crisps aisle, hoping to find something both healthy and satisfying. When I discovered the apple crisps, I thought I had hit the nail on the head - until I saw the price. At £2.79 for just 52g worth of crisp, I was shocked. That works out at £5.37 per 100g. When you can get a whole 1kg of apple for just £2 at asda (so just £0.20 per 100g),  I felt a challenge coming on. I would make my own.

I looked through a few recipes and asked for advice from friends until I came up with the one that I feel works the best. Some tell you to core the apple, so you get ring like crisps, and others tell you just to slice as normal but very thinly. I felt coring was the most uniform and 'crisp like' so went for that.

However, I do not own a corer (I refuse to pay for something that only needs a little bit of effort and brain power) but don't let this stop you! Also, if you want to make them extra crispy you can use an oil spray which you can either buy from the shops or do the scrimpers way by making your own: simply find a clean miniature spray (the holiday minis are perfect) and fill with the oil. Done.

I show you how to make these delicious, healthy snacks below. WARNING: your house will smell gorgeously cinnamonly.

Ingredients:

1 Apple of your Choice (I went for Pink Lady)
Cinnamon
Oil (optional)

Method:

1) Set the Oven at 160C (or 140C on a fan or gas mark 3) and line a baking tray with some baking paper

2) Core the apple either using a corer or a knife. If using the knife, carefully push the knife down through the apple making a square around the core, making sure the knife goes all the way down through the other side. The simply push out the core from the bottom:

3)Slice the apple into thin (1 -2 mm is perfect) slices, and put onto the baking tray you set up earlier:

4) Add a sprinkling of cinnamon for some extra flavour (and it smells so good when it's baking!)

5) Then simply pop into the oven for around 40- 50 minutes. Check on them after 20 minutes and turn them over. Some may have gone brown and crispy already if they are thinner, so take them out and put them into a container (or just eat them, I know I couldn't resist)

6) Keep checking up on them until you feel they are the right crispiness for you. I like them slightly browned on the outside (as shown below) as then they are crispy, but not dry.

7) The simply enjoy or put in a sealed container (once they are cool) to enjoy later, I have found they last a couple of days, if you can resist eating them (who am I kidding I ate them all in about 5 minutes) 

So there you go, for the cost of an apple and heating the oven ( I often do this if I am using the oven anyway to save even more money) you have some delicious home made apple crisps that you know exactly what's gone in them. A win win in my opinion!

If you see anymore expensive buys in shops that you would like me to try and make at home, just comment below and I will give your challenge a go! 

Enjoy!

Competition Time

When I began my money saving journey exactly a month ago yesterday, I had limited experience in comping. I had entered the odd thing here and there and been lucky a couple of times with minor things (in fact both times a case of cereal, but I'll get onto that). As part of this experiment, I vowed to enter daily and dedicatedly, not realising just how much time this would take up.

A good two or three years ago now, I began using the Dorset Cereals website, and it is one that I would recommend to everyone. There are a number of ways to win, and I have tried them all, and won on two. To begin, you can set up a 'piggy bank' and even give it a name (mine is Edmund, the wee cutie). Throughout the site, you can save up tokens which count towards entries into the monthly competition - one main prize and usually a few runners up prizes of a box of cereals. This said runners up prize was my first win. About a month later a big box was delivered to my door with 5 full sized boxes of muesli from the lovely people at Dorset Cereals. And there my loyalty began. This point system however, is soon to change, There are notices all over the website saying that you will soon be able to exchange tokens for money off vouchers! Another freebie, and another reason to play along daily. Tokens can be collected by answering polls and questions, playing games and entering their 'Spring to Win' game - which a gives you  yet another opportunity to win cereal. YAY!

Since beginning my challenge though, I have found many other sites which offer similar daily competitions. Some, such as Jennings Brewery are interactive games (there's you have to pull a virtual pint - something I am good at neither in real life or on the computer it seems!) and others (The House Brandy for example) require a bit of skill - in this case completing a daily sudoku - which sharpens the brain cells as you quest to win! A fruit machine style competition is popular - with promotors such as Yeo Valley, Crabbies and Carribean Twist catching on.

The latter of these is a Facebook Competition - something I have found worthwhile participating in as I am on Facebook so much of the time anyway! When you go onto the companies Facebook page, one of the tabs along the top will mention a competition or giveaway. Simply clicking on this will lead you to the competition. I have won from Nature's Valley in this way and there are reminders down the side of your Facebook homepage so you'll never forget to enter.

At my one month anniversary of comping, I am so far at a grand total of 4 wins - more than I have ever won in the years of casual comping. These prizes range from Cricket Game tickets to a £5 voucher for turkey - but it all helps, and nothing quite beats that bit of excitement when you receive an email telling you you're the lucky winner - even if it is just some turkey!

For more inspiration check out a fellow compers blogs for great ideas on where to look for that coveted win!

https://unluckyhol.wordpress.com/

Have you had any luck with comping recently? Share your recent wins or favourite competitions in the comments below. Good luck, and happy comping!